Wheel



Jan. 1.1, 1938. F, C, FRANK 2,105,317

' WHEEL Filed Nov. 19, 1954 mull- IN V EN TOR.

M ./ax

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 11, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE Frederick C. Frank, South Bend, Ind.,assignor to Bendix lProducts Corporation, South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application November 19, 1934, Serial No. 753,593

4 Claims.

This invention relates to wheels, and more particularly to wheels for use in connection with aircraft.

The wheels of aircraft are frequently subjected during normal operation to severe overloads, when the aircraft contacts the ground. It iS therefore necessary that the wheels be very strong and incorporate a high factor of safety to avoid serious damage to the aircraft, certain 0 to result from the collapse of a wheel. It is also necessary that `the Weight of each unit incorporated into an aircraft be kept to a minimum lto insure the greatest efficiency and the maximum performance of the aircraft.

An object of this invention is toprovide an extremely strong, yet light-weight, wheel adapted especially for use in aircraft.

A further object is to provide a wheel which may be forged orcast of a very light, yet strong, alloy.

Another object is to providea wheel, especially adapted for use in aircraft, which may be cast in twov sections to be fixed together to form the Wheel.

Still another object is to provide a two-piece airplane wheel having no extremely thin sections and of astructure such that it maybe cast of a light, but very strong, alloy, such as an aluminum magnesium alloy.

A stm further Objectis to provide an airp1ane Wheel designed to be cast in two sections to be fixed together by screw threads, and in which novel means are provided to prevent the two sec- 35 tions from separating. I

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a cast airplane wheel having enclosed brake drums and Ventilating means to dissipate heat from the drums.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, together with the accompanying drawing, submitted Afor purposes of illustration only and not intended to dene the scope of the invention, reference being had for that purpose to the subjoined claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through an airplane wheel embodying the present invention;

50 and i Figure 2 is a fragmentary view showing a modied form of the invention.

As shown in the drawing, the wheel is formedl in two complementary main sections I0 and I2.

so that eachsection may be cast in a comparay tively simple mold.

Each of the complementary main sections is provided-with a flanged member I4 and l5 respectively to engage `the sides of a tire (not 5 shown) and hold it in place on the laterally extending rim. members I6 and I'l of the wheel. As illustrated, the wheel is preferably of the dropcenter type to facilitate removal and replacement of the tire, and to provide a large air space with- 10 in the tire without unduly increasing the overall dimensions of the tire.

Each of the complementary sections I0 and I2 is provided with a hub portion I8 and 20 respectively, having raceways 22 and 2.4 respectively to 15 receive anti-friction members, carried by an axle l(not shown) to transmit force from the airplane to the ground.

Means are provided to secure the hub portions I8 and 20 together. The outer diameter of a 20 portion of the hub member I8 is decreased to form a tongue 26 adapted to slide Within and be engaged by a section of increased internal diameter or projection 28 carried by the hub member 20. The'inner surface of the hub portion 20, 25 adjacent the projection 28, is provided with threads 30 to receive a sleeve 32 slidable through the hub portion I8 and provided with a section of enlarged outer diameter or abutment 34 to engage a section of decreased internal diameter 30 or shoulder 36 carried by the hub portion I8 to securely clamp the hub portions I8 and 20 together. The sleeve 32 may be xed against'rotation relative to the hub portion I8 by means such as pins 38 projecting through the abutment 35 34 and intothe shoulder 36. The hub portions I8 and 20 are thus securely locked together.

The hub portions I8 and 2li are joined to the laterally extending 'rim members I6 and I1 by radially extending discs 40 and 42 respectively. 40 The discs 40 and 42 are provided with a plurality of apertures or cut-out sections 44 and 46 to decrease the weight of the wheel structure. The discs 40 and 42 are further provided with laterally extending reinforcing ns 48 and 50 inter- 45 mediate the cut-out sections 44 and 46 respectively to increase the strength of the wheel laterally as well as radially.

. The screw threadsrlxing the members I2 and 55 54 together are preferably right-hand threads of a pitch diii'erent from and not divisible into or a multiple of the pitch of the screw threads iixing the sleeve 32 to the hub portion 20, which is preferably a left-hand thread.

The section I of the wheel is provided with an enclosed brake drum 60 having radially extending cooling flanges 624 to dissipate heat from vthe drum 60. The drum 60 is provided with a radial inwardly extending ange 64 to permit the drum 60 to be clamped by means of bolts 68 to bosses 66 formed on the ns 48.

'I'he drum 60 is provided ywith a radially ext tending flange 10 to coact with the rim member I6 to aid in supporting the drum 60. The flangev is provided with apertures 12 to permit air to iiow through the space between the drum 60 and the rim section I6. Air is thus permitted to circulate around the brake drum 60 and through the cut-out sections 44 to dissipate heat from the brake drum 60. y

Figure 2 shows yan alternative construction wherein dual brakes may be employed if the effective braking area of the-single brake idrum 60 of Figure 1 is vinsuiiicient to adequately handle the load imposed upon it. The section I2 of the wheel maybe iitted with a brake drum |60., similar to the brake drum 60 carried by the section I0. The drum |60 is provided with a plurality of outwardly extending cooling anges |62, and

an inwardly extending flange |64 to permit the 'drum |60 to be clamped by means of the bolts |68 to the bosses |66 formed on the iins |48.

The drum |60 is further provided with a. radially extending flange |10'to coact with the rim member to aid in supporting the drum |60. The flange |10 is formed with a plurality of apertures |12 to permit air to flow through the space between-the drum |60 and the rim section ||1. The brake drum |60 is thus cooled by the circulation of air through the cut-out sections |46 and over the cooling flanges |62 of the drum |60.

The invention thus comprehends the provision of an airplane wheel so designed and constructed f that it may be cast or forged in two main sections, of an extremely light, but very strong, alloy, such as an aluminum vmagnesium alloy. Novel means is also provided for fixing the t'wo main sections of the Wheel together.

Whilethe invention has been described with particular reference to a 'preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the'scope of the invention to the embodiment illustrated, nor otherwise than by the terms of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

threads formed in a portion of one of said hub sections, locking means including a threaded sleeve having an abutment slidable through a portion of the other of said hub sections and engaging the threads in said hub section, means including a pin to lock the sleeve against rotation relative to the other of said hub sections, said hub and sleeve threads being of a pitch different from and not divisible into or a multiple of the -pitch of the screw threads carried by said rim portions. p

3. A drop-center airplane wheel lcomprising two separate main sections, hub and rim portions carried by each main section,y a screw thread carried by one of 4said hub portions, a tire engaging a'nge carried by each section, means to fix the two main sections together, said means including cooperating screw threads carried by each main section remote from said flanges and a sleeve threaded into said one of said `hub por-V tions at the midsection of the wheel and engag# ing the other of said hub portions, and means to lock said sleeve against rotation with respect to said one of. said portions, said'screw threads being of a di'erent pitch.

4. A drop center airplane wheel comprising two separate main sections, hub and rim portions carried by each main section, a screw thread carried by one of said hub portions, a tire engaging iiange carried by each section, means to iix the main sections together, said means including cooperating screw threads carried by each main section remote from said iianges, and avsleeve threaded into said one of said hub portions at the mid 'section of the wheel and engaging the other of said hub portions, and means to lock said sleeve against rotation with respect to said one of said portions, said screw threads being oppositely turned.

FREDERICK C. FRANK. 

